Man cannonballs manatees on video, prompting investigation

Three men could face charges after a year-old video of a diver jumping into a canal onto two manatees surfaced on Facebook and YouTube Monday.

The video — recorded in a residential Cocoa Beach neighborhood — shows the most egregious of three acts of manatee abuse reported across the state in the past year that drew media attention.

A Clearwater woman rode a sea cow in November. Then a Fort Pierce man's photos surfaced in February showing him holding a manatee calf and allowing his young daughters to sit on the animal.

In the Brevard video, a man and two friends, whose names have not been released, bait an adult manatee and a calf with fresh water from a hose to bring the endangered animals closer to the dock.

One of the men jumps cannonball-style onto the adult sea cow, nearly striking the younger animal as well.

Now, investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service intend to file federal charges against the men.

"It's sad," FWC Officer Lenny Salberg said. "Here you have a manatee just swimming down a canal not hurting anyone. To actually go out of your way to harm them, what would make you want to do that?"

All three men are expected to face federal manatee harassment charges, Salberg said.

The charges are expected to be filed later this week and if convicted, each of the men could served a year-long jail sentence and have to pay up to $50,000 in fines.

"It's very disturbing," said Patrick Rose, executive director the Save the Manatee Club, a Maitland-based nonprofit that works to protect endangered manatees and their habitat. "This crosses that malicious line."

In the 51-second clip, the cameraman, who is not visible, can be heard directing the diver toward two the sea cows with excitement.

"Come over here, it's right there," he said. "It's right here. Look it's a huge one. Oh, there's two of them."

Seconds later, the diver says, "let's do it," then asks the camera man if he's is ready to capture the illegal act on video and he makes the jump.

As the video ends, the manatees try to swim away as the three friends laugh and the diver swims back to the dock.

According to Rose, this manatee abuse is even more alarming than the February and November cases that garnered media attention.

He said that it was possible that those people — although accused of disturbing the manatees — may not have had malicious intentions.

But in this most recent case, which Rose calls a "calculated plot," he said it is clear that the men intended to hurt the protected animals.

It is that perceived intention that prompted the state and federal investigations, Salberg said.

Authorities have identified each of the men in the video. Their names will be withheld until charges are filed.

If you suspect a wildlife law violation, report it to the FWC at 888-404-3922 or email tip@myfwc.com.